Painful Desires || COMPLETED ✔️

Chapter 22

I pat her head, "Me too."

"I...I just--why? Like why?" She shakes her head crying again. "I wish I had a dad," she whispers squeezing her eyes.

I slide down, kneeling beside her and taking her hands. "I am so proud of you, you have come so far all by yourself. I love you Mari, and I'll always be here for you."

She nods, wiping her eyes. I look at Fiona and I gesture for her to take Marisol's hand.

The door opens and Lucas squints his eyes at us with a red solo cup in his hand. "Mari? Are you okay?" He closes the door behind him.

She nods for him to come into her arms and we're all squished into a hug, my eyes hover closed as our heads meet. It's not like before when my heart would jump at his touch, or before when I would melt in his eyes. This. Us. All three of us and now Fiona, that's what matters.

"I love you guys," Marisol sighs.

"And we love you."

The door opens again making us separate, I awkwardly pat Lucas's shoulder and he gives me a small smile.

I squint at the girl from before with half her hair dyed pink, "Theirs this guy over there, he's like super drunk and keeps asking for Luca?"

Lucas and I exchange looks before we follow behind her, Marcus is sprawled out on the floor with his shirt half-open and wet.

"Lucas," he calls out with his eyes closed, holding onto a stranger's ankle.

"Where's Lucas?"

"I'm right here man," Lucas squats beside me and tries to help me sit him up against the couch.

"The point is that I should have never accused you of trying to hook up with my boyfriend. You guys are best friends and I'm sorry."

"You are?" Lucas's eyebrows furrow.

He nods up and down slowly. "And baby..."

"Yeah...?"

"I'm the one you love and I know you miss him, I don't want you to stop hanging out with your friends because of me."

Lucas meets my eyes almost in question, and the corner of my lips twitch up. 

"I...miss you too," he admits. "I'm sorry for acting weird around you guys, I guess seeing you happy with someone reminded me of Li Mei."

"Really?"

He nods.

"And...how do you feel now?"

"I'm glad you found someone who sees your worth, who isn't afraid to love you."

I breathe in wide-eyed, this is the first time in months that he sounds honest.

"Um..." I swallow looking away. "We should go," I circle Marcus's arm around my neck trying to pull him up.

I felt ridiculous knowing I couldn't move his six-foot-three body even an inch. Marisol comes to help me and I feel my throat tighten and my eyes water.

"He can sleep on the couch and you can sleep in my room," Lucas lifts Marcus's legs, pushing him onto the couch.

"W-what about Rosa?"

"She went home."

"Oh."

I don't know why I felt so angry at what he said, I flip onto my stomach not being able to sleep especially with his smell. I touch his pillow, smoothing the wrinkles over with my hand. I guess I really was just someone he explored his sexuality with.